DRIVEN: F32 BMW 428i M Sport – all things to all men?

When they’re unveiling a brand new model like this, manufacturers usually spark up their word-processors and churn out a standard fluff-piece, using the handy search-and-replace function to insert the name of the model in question. Out goes “BMW 3 Series Coupe,” plonk in “new BMW 4 Series Coupe.” Done.

You know the usual: “Don’t assume this is just a coupe version of the 3 Series sedan… yadda yadda… No, it’s a brand new model that’s integral to BMW’s sporting heritage… yadda yadda… conceived and engineered separately… yadda yadda… long-term separate model-line strategy… yadda yadda… new and exciting beginning…”

And in essence, that’s exactly what BMW has done with the new F30 3 Series sedan-based F32 4 Series Coupe. Just that this time, the marketing speak isn’t mere words that can’t be backed up, as the newborn walks the talk too. Well, sort of.

This is, in most respects, a car that promises to be all things to all men. It’s the great BMW 3 Series but more. Sexier, more emotionally appealing, better to drive, the whole lot. So, is it really?

In theory, the BMW 4 Series Coupe has the potential to be the best in the business, to re-work the rulebook, to rubbish its rivals, like past 3 Series Coupes always have. But there’s a lot of quality out there now, and this car simply has to perform. This is BMW feeling the heat.

Its biggest threat comes, of all places, from Land Rover. The Victoria Beckham-approved Range Rover Evoque, to be precise. Forget the standard range of premium-brand coupes such as the Audi A5 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe, the previous two-door 3 Series handled them easily enough.

The internal debate BMW had over this model was whether to continue with a product which has an immediate genetic link to the sedan, or create a radical even-numbered alter ego, like it has done with the mildly-successful 5 Series-based 6 Series. Higher powers (quite literally) mandated that we say hello to the F32 BMW 4 Series.

Part of the new model line makeover involves making it appear special, funky and visually vastly different from the sedan that spawned it. So it’s less of a cut-and-thrust 3 Series and more of a bespoke creation with attitude etched across it. It’s a sharp slice of strategic product re-think frothed with proven visual stimuli.

Where the outgoing 3 Series Coupe was merely a chopped and channelled, nip and tucked, massaged and fettled version of the sedan, this new 4 Series is more ambitious, bold, sharp, and crucially, unmissable. In the test car’s M Sport guise, angles and sheer planes collide to create 50 shades of grey. In short, it’s more sexed up.

Rarely has so little visual effort been expended for such a drastic return. Its 3 Series roots are obvious, sure, but collectively, as a whole, it’s so much more. Only the door handles, wing mirrors and BMW badges are carried over. The body dimensions don’t match up either – the coupe is longer and wider by 14 mm, and best of all, 67 mm lower.

It’s all new here. The headlights are slittier, taillights elongated, sub-nasal air intakes enlarged. The effect is of forms which are tailored, artfully draped sheetmetal pouring down to poutier wheelarches.

No longer do the kidney grilles resemble the imprint of two baked bean cans dropped in fresh snow. The chrome edges of each kidney are asymmetric, flushed to the headlamps, as if the time-served BMW corporate face has been smeared by the wind. Understated this is not.

In fact, the design feels so confident in poise, stance and sheer muscularity that it could not have been named the 3 Series. It’s a suit the 4 Series can call its own. In the flesh, this F32 BMW 428i M Sport sits so assured, so discreetly muscular – think Chris Hemsworth in Rush, not Thor – that it appears wonderfully special, not stolid.

Inside the frameless doors, BMW talks up the elongated door cards and Line-specific colour-coded trim pieces (Estoril Blue in this M Sport guise), because the cabin is otherwise pure 3 Series. The insanely thick but magnificent M Sport steering wheel is present in the 328i M Sport too, and the hip-hugging seats are standard even on the 320i Sport Line.

This car at least eschews the sedan and base car’s dubious fingerprint-magnet piano black inserts for M Sport-specific Aluminium Hexagonal appliqué. There are some beautiful details, sure – touch-sensitive customisable face buttons on the dash face, high-resolution widescreen display – but you have seen this all before. In the 3 Series sedan.

Brilliant, in ergonomics and execution, but just far too familiar to user-choosers in their base 316i Japanese D-segment-alternative four-doors. Sitting lower compared to a 3er sedan does not make for a notably special driving environment, when the overwhelming ambience of sculpting and soft-feel plastics is simply far too familiar.

This 428i M Sport – the middle child in BMW Malaysia’s three-strong 4 Series family – is motivated by the familiar 2.0 litre twin-scroll turbo-equipped direct-injection engine that’s good for 245 hp and 350 Nm of torque. Its 0 to 100 km/h time dips under six seconds (5.8 seconds, to be exact), so Golf GTIs and the like, don’t even bother trying to ‘smoke’ one of these.

Traffic light grands prix can be easily won by utilising the pre-programmed Launch Control feature, which is readily accessible by scrolling the Driver Experience Control to SPORT+ and flicking the gear knob from D to S. Then, all you have to do to get perfect getaways is to hold the car hard on the brakes, mash your right foot down to trigger the kickdown button, and jump off the stop pedal.

In reality, though, you’ll only ever use the function maybe once or twice – the first time to see if it works (it does), the second to impress your mates (which it will) – and no more. It’s just another one of those nice-to-have-but-utterly-useless features that all car buyers apparently crave after. You know, like a sunroof.

A much more useful addition – all part of BMW’s mid-2013 wide-scale model upgrades – is the transmission’s sailing function under the ECO PRO mode. At speeds between 50 and 160 km/h, the drivetrain is disconnected as soon as the accelerator pedal is lifted to achieve optimum fuel efficiency.

So lift off between those speeds and the engine revs drop to a scarcely believable 700 rpm, as the car glides along with the momentum, seemingly free of any friction at all. Feed the throttle or step on the brakes, and it jumps back into gear, seamlessly. It’s an eerie phenomenon at first glance, but one which you’ll quickly adapt to.

No doubts of its claimed fuel economy figure of 15.6 km per litre, then. Over 600 km or mixed driving (around town, traffic jams, highway cruise, back road blasts, the lot), the test car averaged 12.8 km/l – a very respectable figure considering the performance at hand. Drive it like you own it, and the claimed number is a realistic target.

At RM388,800, the 428i M Sport is RM79,000 dearer than the equivalent sedan, the 328i M Sport. This, then, is nouvelle cuisine; pay more for less – doors, rear space (though still big enough for four adults), front headroom – and hope that what BMW serves up remains suitably nutritious.

Vital signs are good. Lighter mass and better weight distribution (its low centre of gravity betters even the carbon-fibre-roofed E92 M3 Coupe) mean that it beats the same-engined sedan to 100 km/h by 0.3 seconds, and its Adaptive M Suspension has a stiffer base-line than its four-door stablemate.

The latter is a standard-fit item on the 428i M Sport and 435i M Sport (read Jonathan’s take on the range-topper here), while the base 428i Sport Line rides on passive M Sport suspension (a softer set up is available in international markets). You’d want the more advanced springs and dampers, obviously.

Let’s be practical here. The M Sport package for the 428i, even with its daunting RM30,000 premium, is an absolute must-have. Don’t even bother with the base model; it’s most probably just there to lower the range’s starting price – meant to attract you to the showrooms, where they’d sell you the 428i M Sport. Plus, you’d want the glorious M Sport-specific Estoril Blue paintjob anyway.

To drive, the BMW 4 Series is sweet. Predictably, it’s like the 3 Series sedan, but better. It has a portfolio of moves that range from impressive to enthralling, and is just that bit more dynamically able than the car on which it’s based. Sadly, the difference between the two here is smaller than the clear jump in the looks department.

Don’t be deterred, though. From a throttle action that is as lubricious as a good old-fashioned foot massage, to a finely-weighted steering with an appealing gumminess about the straight-ahead – the better to judge turn-in – the F32 is a crisp, balanced drive.

The BMW TwinPower Turbo engine works energetically yet discreetly from 2,000 rpm to its redline at 6,500 rpm, with a yowly burble making you grin from 4,000 rpm up. Flexible, torquey in the mid-range, this blown four offers terrific second and third gear hooligan urge disguised by wonderful table manners. It will also pootle along discreetly at just over 1,000 rpm in top gear, or down to 700 rpm with your foot off the gas.

Affixed to the latest ZF eight-speed Sport AT gearbox, the 428i becomes a fine long-distance proposition. This is arguably the best automatic transmission currently available (at least until Mercedes-Benz’s 9G-TRONIC comes around), with utterly smooth and jolt-free gear changes.

Immediate, alive and adaptable to silly cajoling on roads which punt and point, it’s the perfect electronic massaging of driver ineptitude. It is almost like having your gateau and munching it, because the automatic gearbox, when left as such, does the left-lane mooch-stuff perfectly too.

To back up the mechanicals, the chassis is so damn amenable, with fine bump-thump suppression, malleable damping and an overriding aplomb which is never less than competent and more often thrillingly confident. Moreover, there’s a fitting vaguely-analogue feel to the helm that somewhat compensates for the sheer digitally-controlled perfection of the drivetrain package.

Yet, the driving experience lacks that distinct immediacy of a thoroughbred coupe; something that is beyond the sedan. This is a sports coupe, dammit. You’d expect it to dance around a corner like Ayrton Senna would, not trod on it with the calmness and boring efficiency of Sebastian Vettel. There’s no questioning the speed, but where’s the drama? The character?

Yes, it’s a little bit more engaging to drive than the 3 Series near the limits, and the steering is noticeably sharper everywhere, but the end result is still of a sedan with slightly raised sporting aspirations. A real coupe’s poise, manner and affability are all missing here.

Throw it down at a set of twisties, and you end up relying on the electronics to pull you through, while a German software-engineer pre-decides the amount of fun and control you’re allowed to have. There are some jollies to be had, but only to a certain extent, past which it all feels a little anaesthetised on your end.

There’s another weak point too; a big one. Unlike the sedan, wind noise is very well suppressed here (big thumbs up!), but that exposes yet another downfall of the F30/F32 family: unnervingly loud in-cabin tyre noise. That everything else is so quiet just makes the invading roar worse.

Okay now, that’s enough nitpicking, for the rest of the 4 Series really deserves a thorough commendation. This is a grown-up sports car, and seen as such, it very nearly aces what truly matters.

Beyond all, as a coupe, it certainly looks the part. It’s sexy enough to stir those you want to impress, and in M Sport guise, suggestive enough to spark knowing nods from the enthusiast quarter too. Past the all-important aesthetic values, it’s both sufficiently comfortable and engaging (just) to please both boulevardiers and back road stormers alike.

That it’s missing the magic fizz when the going gets really tough means very little, almost irrelevant, in fact, to its real target market. Hopefully the M4 Coupe can address that issue. And the staid interior? Well, it’s a good thing, then, that BMW had set the bar high with the standard 3 Series sedan. In any case, the more expensive 6 Series doesn’t feel all that special inside anyway, so it’s not like there’s much to be missed in the first place.

So back to the initial question, then. Is the F32 BMW 428i M Sport all things to all men? Well, if only it’s just a little bit sharper around the corners, then yes, it is. As is, it bloody nearly is. The Range Rover what, now?

Preferring to drive cars rather than desks, Hafriz Shah ditched his suit and tie to join the ranks of Malaysia’s motoring hacks. A car’s technical brilliance is completely lost on him, appreciating character-making quirks more. When not writing this ego trip of a bio, he’s usually off driving about aimlessly, preferably in a car with the right combination of three foot pedals and six gears.

BMW Malaysia is the ONLY company in the world, not just in Malaysia, in the world, that ONLY gives 2 year warranty for their cars.

Have you wondered why? Think carefully before you buy. If a car company has no confidence to give you the basic 3 years, something smells fishy. Now, nearly ALL companies give 5 years. Even Proton and Perodua, give 5 years warranty.

So many bMW owners, after 2nd year cry so loud like a baby because, warranty habis, have to pay so much in parts prices. Many kena gearbox rosak, immediately RM80k disappears from the bank account just to buy a new gearbox.

You dare to buy a car with so many electronics and high possibility to malfunction with a mere and miserable 2 year warranty?

@EnergyAnalys, I think you have no money to buy new car before. You are wrong. Most give at least 3 years and 2 years extended warranty by 3rd paty insurance company. In BMW cases, even the biggest insurance company in the universe fear to offer any extended warranty. God also cant guarantee anything made by BMW

I drive an E46 and an F30. My friends have seen my repair bills and have compared it to their Proton Sagas (No I’m not shitting you. READ ON)

The KEY (scuse the punt) to owning a BRAND NEW BMW is as simple as ABC.

1- Do not follow their set service guidelines,
1a- If they say every 20k, you service every other 10k intervals out of their service center

1b- Do not complain about 1a. You are driving a BMW.

1c- Life time transmission fluid simply means, the expected lifetime of their average customer’s usage of a car before getting rid of it.

1d- As per 1c. Change very 50k. They are only 50-70 RM/L for OEM and you only need 7 litres.

1e- If you have the extra cash, which you may very well have considering how well the car have kept you alive and out of a hospital (trust me they do keep you out of accidents very very well and if you do get into 1 touchwood, you’re pretty much able to come out well and fine) get a proper maintenance done and not just oil change every interval.

1f- A cable to plug in the computer to your laptop is only MYR 200.00 and have no expiry. Use this to monitor your car’s total health condition including heat from your rad to your transmission.

1.1 PLOT TWIST – I’ve done all that and it’s on par with what my friend claims to be his 8-10 year old Saga’s maintenance every 10k. 600-700 a go all inclusive fluid,filter replacement + round inspection.

1.2 FUEL – Do not go comparing 95 and 97. That’s stupid.

2 Years? My 8 nearing 9 years old E46 N42 (the most “problematic engine ever made by bmw”) has been commended over its smooth start up and cabin silence. Yes I’ve spent 10% of your 80K IN TWO YEARS OMG this year. Why? New Rims, Modernization and Restoration.

2- If you don’t have the time to monitor your car (10 minutes a week worth of driving) do not overly trust a workshop. Most of them are there to rip you off simply because you said I don’t know. Throw out, I think there’s a sensor problem or it’s abit rough la mounting ar? can’t be anything serious leh worse case belt and pulley (own a BMW and study it a little and you’ll understand serpentine faults)

3- If you want to change your rims, buy original or you WILL DAMAGE your car should the replica/cheap read: unworthy set of wheels you bought decide to cave in on itself.

DO NOT TALK oUT Of YOUR ASS. IF YOU HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE, learn. Not make yourself look like a fool. There’s nothing stupid about asking questions. There’s everything stupid about making inaccurate remarks.

I’ll end this long reply with three words with identical meaning combined to emphasize what you are.

BMW RV drop like crazy. Because every year, BMW like to throw prices to clear stock. In first few months BMW can even drop more than RM100,000. See even BMW Segambut this weekend selling brand new 2013 520d and 520i for RM248,000 from original price of RM360,000.

So you can imagine how the 2nd hand market will suffer. People with 2013 520d and 520i can now only sell their cars for RM200,000. A drop of Rm150,000 in a few months!

Uncle Sam don’t talk cock la. Please talk with facts. Use you head not you butt. All your pricing are not realistic and can only be found in wonderland/ dreamland. RM248k for a brand new 520i? Hahaha… Even used 520i BMW premium selection with mileage around 5k is selling for RM315k. Go do proper research la. Don’t everytime simply pluck figures from the sky.

For your info you said BMW gearbox will kong after 2 yrs? What a joke. The 8-speeder in BMW is made by ZF, the same company that supplies GB to merc, audi, porsche, bentley etc..
So all those cars GB also will kong after 2 yrs? I think you are confused with VW’s infamous DSG.

Don’t be butthurt ok. I know people are not willing to buy your overpriced Lexus. You no need to twist and spin facts like that.

However i do agree that BMW really needs to increase the warranty to industry norm which is 3 yrs minimum.

Don’t buy. So many people burn and smash their new BMW around the world due to poor after sales service and quality. In Malaysia worse, you not only want to smash your car but you will feel like commiting suicide due to their poor and stupid service like BeEnd administration. BMW voice is like moron

@DisgruntledBMWowner You bought 1 BMW and therefore that qualifies you to bash the car brand? Firstly out of curiosity, is it your family car? Secondly , why do you even bother to read forums related to BMW if you are already so UPSET? Thank you for your time and reply!

The thing about BMWs is that they focus so much on the driving and forget about paying more attention on the car’s interior design. Though they may argue that its the driving experience and not the looks, but isn’t it better if you have a nice modern interior PLUS a great driving experience? Mercedes has done a lot to improve on their interior and exterior to give it a more “younger” look. So, it isn’t surprising that many people are buying Mercs nowadays.

” 328i’s 2.0L four-cylinder engine has twin-scroll turbo, direct injection and Valvetronic. It makes 245 hp and 350 Nm of torque, and is not much slower with a century sprint time of 6.1 seconds. That’s eight tenths faster than a Golf GTI, mind you. ”

So either your brain got problem or your butt got problem from being butthurt when the 328i smoked you GTI. And when your DSG fails, even a kancil 660 can smoke you.

Don’t talk cock Izzat. Please talk when u owned one before and not from few minutes test drives but no money to buy. I never experience pedal spacing problem with my BMW. In fact he pedal is the only thing that is good with my BMW. Other than that, all other parts are falling apart.

It looks like the 3 Series sedan from the inside and outside and drives a little bit better than the sedan.

Only thing different it looks sleeker coz it has lesser doors. Hope BMW will do better and design the next gen 4 Series to look different compared to the 3 Series.

Lastly its about time BMW and Mercedes offer more kit like heads up display, blind spot information system and keyless entry to their more mainstream models as cheaper cars like the Peugeot, Ford or KIA has it as standard kit and it really puts premium cars to shame.

Firstly, I dont think the Evoque can even be mentioned in the same sentence with the 4 series. The Evoque is only a front heavy front bias AWD vehicle. The 4 series is a proper sports coupe with RWD that will sing and dance for you without breaking much sweat.

I like the almost fastback shape, which reminds one of the American muscle cars. The price is admittedly, rather on the expensive side. Is it worth the premium over its sedan counterpart? Well, that depends on why you buy a car. If driving enjoyment only, the 4 series is your choice. If you want a good balance of driving enjoyment and still bring your mates or small family along comfortably, I think both cars can do that well enough. But if you want something confortable and is meant for driving through jams daily (with the occasional hard driving), then the the 328i M sport sedan is the best choice, and you get to save some money as well.

yes ,in the eighties bmw got a lot of electronic problems ..but not now ..current bmw technology is much more mature compare to mercedes and audi.
for uncle sam , i feel really pity for you as the lexus is so ugly and looks cheap , it really cannot sell in malaysia ((actually whole world)

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